Department of Commerce February 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the regulations implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as amended, notification is hereby given that NMFS has issued an incidental harassment authorization (IHA) to the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) to incidentally harass, by Level A and Level B harassment only, marine mammals during pile driving and removal activities associated with the Gustavus Ferry Terminal Improvements Project in Gustavus, Alaska.

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) has received petitions for certification of eligibility to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance from the firms listed below. Accordingly, EDA has initiated investigations to determine whether increased imports into the United States of articles like or directly competitive with those produced by each of the firms contributed importantly to the total or partial separation of the firms' workers, or threat thereof, and to a decrease in sales or production of each petitioning firm.

This announcement provides notice that the Department of Commerce (DOC) has received a ``Notice of Appeal'' filed by Electric Boat Corporation (Appellant) requesting that the Secretary override an objection by the New York State Department of State to a consistency certification for a proposed project to dispose of dredged material in the Eastern Long Island Sound Dredged Material Disposal Site.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for pollock in Statistical Area 620 in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A season allowance of the 2020 total allowable catch of pollock for Statistical Area 620 in the GOA.

NMFS issues regulations to implement management measures described in Framework Amendment 7 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Coastal Migratory Pelagic (CMP) Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) and Atlantic Region (FMP)(Framework Amendment 7), as prepared by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council). This final rule revises the commercial and recreational minimum size limit for the Gulf zone of the Gulf migratory group of cobia (Gulf cobia). The purpose of this final rule is to reduce harvest of Gulf cobia in the Gulf zone in response to concerns about the status of the stock until additional stock information becomes available.

In this final rule, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) amends the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to revise the Country Group designations for the Russian Federation (Russia) and Yemen based on national security and foreign policy concerns, including proliferation-related concerns. This action is intended to facilitate and support accountability in connection with exports and reexports of items to these destinations under the EAR, and is part of a larger effort to restructure and re-align the Country Groups based on the aforementioned interests.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will hold a meeting via webinar of its Standing, Reef Fish, Mackerel, Shrimp and Socioeconomic Scientific and Statistical Committees (SSC).

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council will hold a meeting of its Law Enforcement Technical Committee (LETC), in conjunction with the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission's Law Enforcement Committee (LEC).

NMFS has received a request from the United States Navy (Navy) for the re-issuance of a previously issued incidental harassment authorization (IHA) with the change being a minor modification to the effective dates. The initial IHA authorizes take of one species of marine mammal, by Level B harassment only, incidental to pile driving associated with the South Quay Wall Recapitalization Project, Naval Station Mayport, Florida. The project has been delayed and none of the work covered in the initial IHA has been conducted. The initial IHA has an effective period from February 15, 2020, through February 14, 2021. The Navy has requested re-issuance with new effective dates of July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021. The scope of the activities and anticipated effects remain the same, authorized take numbers are not changed, and the required mitigation, monitoring, and reporting remains the same as included in the initial IHA. Therefore, NMFS re-issued the IHA.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) is initiating a changed circumstances review (CCR) of the antidumping duty (AD) order on large diameter welded pipe from Greece.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council's (Council) Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish (MSB) Advisory Panel will hold two meetings.

NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels using trawl gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the A season apportionment of the 2020 Pacific cod total allowable catch allocated to catcher vessels using trawl gear in the BSAI.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) continues to determine that two companies under review had no shipments of subject merchandise during the period of review (POR), September 1, 2017 through August 31, 2018. Additionally, Commerce continues to determine that the remaining companies subject to this review are part of the China-wide entity because they failed to file no shipment statements, separate rate applications, or separate rate certifications.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that Protech Diamond Tools Inc. (Protech) is circumventing the antidumping duty order on diamond sawblades and parts thereof (diamond sawblades) from the People's Republic of China (China).

We are proposing specifications for the 2020 Atlantic deep-sea red crab fishery, including an annual catch limit and total allowable landings limit, projected quotas for 2021-2023, and a clarification to the specifications process. The proposed action is intended to establish the allowable 2020 harvest levels, consistent with the Atlantic Deep-Sea Red Crab Fishery Management Plan. This action is necessary to establish allowable red crab harvest levels that will prevent overfishing.

NMFS revises regulations to implement Amendment 119 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI FMP) and Amendment 107 to the Fishery Management Plan for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA FMP). This final rule requires that the operator of a federally permitted catcher vessel using hook-and-line, pot, or jig gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska retain and land all rockfish (Sebastes and Sebastolobus species) caught while fishing for groundfish or Pacific halibut. This action is necessary to improve identification of rockfish species catch by vessels using electronic monitoring, provide more precise estimates of rockfish catch, reduce waste and incentives to discard rockfish, reduce overall enforcement burden, and promote more consistent management between State and Federal fisheries. This final rule is intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the BSAI FMP, the GOA FMP, and other applicable law.

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) determines that it is appropriate to rescind this administrative review of the antidumping duty order on tapered roller bearings and parts thereof, finished and unfinished (TRBs), from the People's Republic of China (China) with respect to three of the four companies involved in this review because they had no bona fide (i.e., reviewable) sales to the United States during the period of review (POR), June 1, 2017 through May 31, 2018. Further, Commerce finds that the fourth respondent is not eligible for a separate rate.